Later today, Dirk Lammers and I will attend the ribbon cutting of a firm’s first formal office space. Two weeks prior, we were fortunate to celebrate a company’s 50th year in business. And just a couple of weeks before that, we came cruising into town from the Twin Cities to ensure we made it to the party of a business that celebrated 65 years.
Each of these were can’t-miss events.
I love hearing stories from business stewards, whether they’re founders or those entrusted to carry a legacy forward. I attend these anniversary events to hear the heartwarming speeches, the fun anecdotes and the odd “did you knows” that leaders reveal in these moments of celebration.
Cue the irony, perhaps, that for years I was VERY quiet about my most personal anniversary — my wedding anniversary to my partner in all things, Dirk. On that date, we’re typically working a key event for a longtime Cetera Services client. It’s an annual gathering that falls on a set date, and for the longest time I avoided letting our client know about the overlap.
About five years in, a member of the client group came up to me and said, “I actually don’t know many people here. Any chance I can catch dinner with you and Dirk tonight?”
I weighed the “yes” as well as the “no,” then quickly landed on “yes.”
Fast forward a few hours later. We munched delicately on chips and salsa while testing out various topics of conversation. We grew even more comfortable over tacos, burritos and arroz con pollo, when our client uttered something that made Dirk and I look directly at one another with equally pointed facial expressions.
“What?” our dinner partner asked, then looked back and forth between us. “What did I say?!!!”
Dirk asked me, “Should we tell her?”
I nodded a quick, “Well, yes, we kind of have to.”
Upon hearing that she had inadvertently crashed our anniversary dinner, our guest said, “I am mortified. I would have never invited myself along if I’d known.” Then she laughed and said, “Thank you for being so welcoming.”
Since that time, we’ve had anniversary dinners or appetizers at a rooftop restaurant with her and other great leaders who enjoy celebrating something special with us at the end of a long day of hard work. We now speak of our anniversary openly, and we’re sure to always follow it up with our own celebration a few days later.
Which is why it was even more ironic this year, when Dirk and I realized the stars had finally aligned in 2026. The dates for the annual event had shifted enough that we’d get to celebrate together at home for a change.
Until …. a different client introduced an upcoming project with a notably specific tentative in-person date — that eventually became firm.
And that’s how Dirk and I came to spend our wedding anniversary in the thriving metropolis of Murdo, South Dakota. Eyeing an expected arrival time late enough that all the town’s restaurants would be closed, we decided to pull off Exit 260 to enjoy our celebratory dinner at the famed Al’s Oasis. Reservations weren’t required.
The next morning, we arrived onsite for our client event an hour or so away and had a moment to share the story with a couple of leaders from the client team. It turned out they would have arrived at our dinner locale around the same time as us if not for an unplanned delay.
At its core, our work is relational. We value the continued opportunity to partner with people who share our commitment to delivering quality work, adhering to deadlines and achieving great outcomes.
Dirk and I were over the moon last August during Cetera Services’ 10-year anniversary celebration. We remain thankful to everyone who attended our ribbon cutting party and our follow-up “Get Out of the Office Free” open house. And we’re equally grateful to each of you who reached out with a phone call, a card or a text.
As Cetera Services reaches a new milestone — 11 years — we recognize that our longevity is only possible because of you and your support.
